bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0701

Vol. 2 ISSN 1862-5258 

Biodiesel racing car 

made of linseed oil acrylate | 21 

01 | 2007 

bioplastics magazine 

Bioplastics in 

Automotive Applications | 14 

How much „bio“ is in there? | 36

Natural product – natural packaging 

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Editorial 

dear readers 

When talking about bioplastics, most people immediately think of 

biobased and/or biodegradable packaging. This is quite understandable, 

as most examples currently reported in the press and available in the 

market are of packaging applications. 

However, other industries are also carefully evaluating bioplastics, or 

even using them already. 

The automotive industry, for example, uses a huge amount of plastics. 

In 2005, in Western Europe alone, 2.5 million tonnes of plastics went 

into automotive applications. Today almost every car manufacturer 

sees environmental responsibility and sustainability as important 

aspects of their industry, and as a result the automotive industry - the 

OEMs and their suppliers - is not only interested in bioplastics, but 

an increasing number of companies are evaluating the use of new, 

ecologically sound materials. Some are using bioplastics already. 

That’s why bioplastics MAGAZINE has a special editorial focus in this 

issue, highlighting the first positive steps, from resins through tyres 

to series production applications. Our cover photo shows a 270 PS 

biodiesel racing car that has a body made from linseed oil acrylate 

reinforced with flax fibre – demonstrating that the use of renewable 

resources in the automotive industry, even today, can go far beyond 

conventional fibre-reinforced parts such as inner door trim, rear 

shelves or spare wheel covers. 

For all of these automotive applications biodegradability 

or compostability is not, at this stage, the most 

important aspect. The fact that the materials come from 

renewable resources, their positive effect on the climate, 

and a reduced dependency on crude oil, are much more 

important right now. 

Biodiesel racing car 

made of linseed oil acrylate | 10 

01 | 2007 

Vol. 2 ISSN 1862-5258 

But there is more to talk about than cars, and this issue 

also covers new materials and applications in nonautomotive 

markets, as well as articles about basics, 

logos, events, and hopefully everything else you’d expect 

from magazine like this. 

Michael Thielen 

Publisher 



Automotive Applications | 10 

How much „bio“ is in there? | 15 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/07] Vol. 2

Content 

March 01|2007 

Editorial 03 

News 05 

Suppliers Guide 42 

Events 44 

Review 

1st European Bioplastics Conference, Brussels 10 

Bioplastics 2006, Frankfurt 11 

Automotive 

Bioplastics in Automotive Applications 14 

Bio-Tyres save energy and CO 2 

19 

Rapeseed oil gives grip on wintry roads 20 

Flax and Linseed Oil-Acrylate put Race 21 

Car in Pole Position 

Materials 

Polyamide 11 for automotive 24 

fuel line applications 

Caprowax TM 26 

EcoPol TM 27 

Processing 

PLA – cast film lines 28 

Report 

Novamont Biorefinery 

From Science & Research 

2 

Applications 

Transparent heat-sealable compostable film 30 

Advancing Bioplastics from Down-Under 34 

Basics 

How much “biocontent” is in there? 

6 

Logos Part 3: The “OK Compost” logo 40 

Mailbox 

Letters to the editor 

8 

Impressum 

Publisher / Editorial 

Dr. Michael Thielen 

Samuel Brangenberg 

Layout/Production 

Mark Speckenbach, Jörg Neufert 

Head Office 

Polymedia Publisher GmbH 

Hackesstr. 99 

41066 Mönchengladbach 

Germany 

phone: +49 (0)2161 664864 

fax: +49 (0)2161 631045 

info@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Media Adviser 

Elke Schulte, Katrin Stein 

phone: +49(0)2359-2996-0 

fax: +49(0)2359-2996-10 

es@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Print 

Tölkes Druck + Medien GmbH 

Höffgeshofweg 12 

47807 Krefeld 

Germany 

Print run: 5,000 copies 


ISSN 1862-5258 

bioplastics magazine is published 

4 times in 2007 and 6 times a year 

from 2008. 

This publication is sent to qualified 

subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues). 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is read 

in 72 countries. 

Not to be reproduced in any form 

without permission from the publisher 

The fact that product names may not 

be identified in our editorial as trade 

marks is not an indication that such 

names are not registered trade marks. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use 

British spelling. However, in articles 

based on information from the USA, 

American spelling may also be used. 


News 

European Bioplastics Column 

Bioplastics showed signs 

of a boom in 2006 

PLA Wedding 

Dress presented 

in Brussels 

Outlook is excellent - Further investment 

required to expand capacities 

The bioplastics industry in Europe has experienced its first boom 

in market development during the year 2006. This result emerged 

from a survey conducted by the industry association European Bioplastics 

amongst its 66 members. The questions covered issues 

such as production, new products, converters, development of 

sales, and market highlights of the year 2006, as well as expectations 

for 2007. Growth of up to 100% on the previous year is anticipated 

by manufacturers, particularly in biopackaging. Numerous 

chains of stores throughout Europe are introducing biopackaging 

in response to the growing number of consumers who are concerned 

with depletion of fossil resources and climate change. Most 

companies in this sector expect continued strong positive growth 

in 2007. 

Businesses attribute this largely to three aspects: raised consumer 

environmental awareness, companies being increasingly 

prepared to actively support sustainable development, and the 

sharp rise in raw material and energy prices. Bioplastics are regarded 

as an innovative solution. Similarly to organic food and 

bioenergy, the emergence of bioplastics is a result of changing attitudes 

in business and society. 

Both the use of renewable resources as well as the biodegradability 

and compostability of many bioplastics products have become 

convincing sales and benefits arguments. Bioplastics are 

well on the way to achieving the leap from niche market presence 

to a broader introduction in the medium term. 

Encouraged by rapidly growing demand, manufacturers have 

continued to expand production capacities. However to exploit the 

application potential that has become evident, further significant 

investments will be required in the future. 

Dr. Harald Kaeb, Chairman of European Bioplastics 

www.european-bioplastics.org 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is no official publication of any association. 

However, we offer associations like European Bioplastics, BCPN, 

BPI etc. space to publish their messages. 

A wedding dress made from a 

tissue of delicate fabric created 

with Ingeo fiber made from NatureWorks 

® PLA, took centre stage 

at the start of the first European 

Bioplastics conference in Brussels 

on 21st and 22nd November, 

2006. This apparel creation symbolizes 

the creative potential and 

drive behind NatureWorks LLC, as 

the company proclaimed. The dress 

was designed by Franco Francesca 

and sponsored by Coldiretti, one of 

the main agricultural associations 

in Europe. 

Ingeo fiber is the world’s first 

man-made fiber derived from 100% 

annually renewable resources. Ingeo 

fiber combines the qualities 

of natural and synthetic fibers in a 

new way. Strength and resilience 

are balanced with comfort, softness 

and drape in textiles. In addition, 

Ingeo fiber has good moisture 

management characteristics. This 

means that Ingeo fiber is ideally 

suited to fabrics from fashion to 

furnishings. 

www.ingeofibers.com 

photo: bioplastics MAGAZINE 


News 

BPI Compostable BBQ, a great success! 

On January 23rd, as part of the US Composting Council’s (USCC) Annual Meeting, the 

Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and its members hosted the “All Compostable 

Barbeque”. Under the warm skies of Orlando, FL, 325 meals were served, successfully. 

All the foodservice items carried the BPI symbol, including the plates, hot and cold drink 

cups, and cutlery. Then all the leftovers were put in compostable bags and destined for 

Reedy Creek’s composting operation. 

Participants were pleased to attend the first “Zero Waste” meal, hosted by the BPI in 

conjunction with the USCC. Moreover, this event has helped to set a new commitment on 

the part of the USCC to hold its meetings in areas that practice food scrap diversion. For 

example, next year’s meeting will be in Oakland, CA, which is implementing food scrap 

diversion programs, along with San Francisco. 

“This event demonstrated the feasibility of source separated food scraps diversion 

programs in hotel operations”, stated Dr. Stuart Buckner, the USCC Executive Director. 

Studies show that large restaurant operations annually generate approx. 1,995 kg (4,400 

lbs) of waste per employee in the USA. Of that, 66% are food scraps, another 6% are 

plastics and 5% are compostable paper items. By implementing a diversion program 

and substituting compostable food service items for its disposable plastics, restaurants 

could divert over 75% of its wastes to composting facilities. “Organic waste streams from 

hotels, grocery stores and restaurants represent new revenue and profit opportunities 

for the composting industry,” Dr. Buckner added. 

One of the goals of the “All Compostable” BBQ was to highlight the growing array of 

certified compostable foodservice items. “The industry has grown significantly and can 

now set the table,” said Steve Mojo, BPI Executive Director. All the participants were 

impressed with the sturdiness of the cutlery and plates. 

According to the US EPA, the United States generates approximately 26 million tons 

of food waste annually. Diverting these materials from landfills has many benefits. First, 

the resulting compost can be applied to farms to feed the soil and grow more food; second, 

the creation of methane in the landfill, a powerful greenhouse gas, is reduced. In 

fact, countries that have signed the Kyoto protocol are promoting the diversion of food 

scraps from landfills as a way of achieving their overall reduction goals. “Once consumers 

and businesses understand the numerous environmental benefits of composting, 

I expect to see more residential and commercial food scrap diversion and composting 

programs where the diverted food scraps, ultimately are used in the vineyards and farm 

fields to produce food locally,” stated Matt Cotton, USCC President. 

This event would not have been possible without the contributions and support of the 

“Gold Sponsors”, including BASF, Huhtamaki Foodservice (Chinet ® ), NatureWorks LLC, 

Northern Technologies International, Novamont NA and Poly-America. 


News 

World’s first 

automatic shrink 

wrapper for PLA film 

With the collaboration of Plastic Suppliers, Inc., Columbus 

OH, Polypack Inc. from Pinellas Park FL, has developed 

a series of shrink packaging machines capable of running 

biodegradable, compostable Earth-First ® PLA film, made 

with NatureWorks ® PLA resin. Polypack‘s Bio-Wrapper series 

includes both total closure (form/fill/seal) retail wrappers 

and sleeve (bullseye) wrap bundlers. The stainless 

steel Bio-Wrapper is engineered as a complete unit with 

a double insulated shrink tunnel that reduces energy consumption 

and was displayed at PACK EXPO in Chicago from 

29 October – 2 November 2006. 

www.polypack.com 

Biodegradable 

Lipstick Tube 

CARGO cosmetics from Toronto, 

Canada is doing its part to reduce the 

amount of waste generated by cosmetics. 

The company recently released the 

world‘s first completely biodegradable 

lipstick tube. Instead of petroleum 

based plastic, these botanical 

lipstick tubes are made from PLA. The 

lipsticks marketed under the name 

“PlantLove Botanical Lipstick” come 

boxed in flower paper, a recycled paper 

embedded with wildflower seeds. 

Simply moisten, plant, and wait for a 

bouquet of wild flowers to grow! 

www.cargocosmetics.com 

photo: Cargo Cosmetics 

Pira offer Report 

on Biodegradable Packaging 

UK based consultancy Intertech Pira offer a study entitled “The Future of Global Markets for Biodegradable 

Packaging“. According to an abstract from this report, the global production capacity for biodegradable polymers 

has grown dramatically since the mid-1990s. In 2006, global production capacity for biodegradable polymers was 

around 360,000 tonnes compared with 20,000 tonnes in 1995. Future projects indicate that total production capacity 

is set to reach 600,000 tonnes by 2008. Renewable resource based biopolymers such as starch and PLA account for 

around 85% of the total production capacity with synthetic biopolymers accounting for the remaining 15%. This biodegradable 

packaging report covers all types of packaging materials, including rigid, flexible and foamed materials. 

Processes covered include thermoforming, injection moulding, blow moulding, and extruded blown or cast film 

used for pre-packed fresh foods, other foods, non-foods and food service. Measuring market volumes in terms of 

plastic processors’ consumption of biodegradable polymers for packaging production, The Future of Global Markets 

for Biodegradable Packaging provides in-depth analysis of biodegradable packaging markets to 2011. 

The study as available at www.intertechpira.com 

for 5,200 € / 6,500 US-$. 


News 

The +1 Water 

“bio-bottle”, a 

first in Canada 

bioplastics MAGAZINE invites to 

1st PLA Bottle 

Conference 

PLA for bottle applications are a highly topical subject, 

especially in the light of increasing crude oil prices. The 

stretch blow moulded PLA bottles used by Biota or Natural 

Iowa (USA), Belu (UK) +1 Water (Canada) and Vitamore 

(Germany), as well as reports in the trade press, have 

aroused significant interest from the PET and beverage 

industry. 

That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is organising the 1st 

PLA Bottle Conference to discuss the possibilities, limitations 

and future prospects of PLA for bottle applications. 

The conference is being held on the 12th and 13th 

of September 2007 in the Grand Elysee Hotel in Hamburg, 

Germany. During the 1½ day conference experts 

from companies such as Purac, Uhde Inventa-Fischer, 

Natureworks, Netstal, SIG Corpoplast, Wiedmer, Treofan, 

Sidaplax, SIG Plasmax, Doehler, Colormatrix, Polyone, 

Ihr Platz, Interseroh, and more, will share their 

knowledge and contribute to a comprehensive overview 

of today‘s opportunities and challenges. 

On the afternoon of Thursday September 13th delegates 

will visit SIG Corpoplast, the manufacturer of the 

stretch blow moulding equipment that is used to produce 

the Biota and the Belu bottles. 

+1 Water bottled water company from 

Montreal, Canada, announced it is the first 

and only company in Canada to use fully compostable 

plastic water bottle. Fresh spring 

+1 Water bottles are made from Natureworks 

PLA. A second socially responsible dimension 

of +1 Water is their affiliation with WaterCan 

and Ryan‘s Well Foundation in Canada, 

and Operation Hunger in South Africa. 

+1 Water donates 20% of their profits to these 

organizations to help provide communities in 

need with access to safe, clean water. Unlike 

most people living in North America and Europe, 

there are over one billion people in the 

world that do not have access to safe drinking 

water, as stated on the +1 Water-website 

http://plusonewater.ca. Because of this, an 

estimated 4,500 children die every day due to 

lack of water or water borne diseases! With 

each bottle of +1 Water consumed customers 

are guaranteed to get refreshing, 100% 

pure natural spring water and at the same 

time ensure +1 more person gets access to 

life sustaining, safe drinking water as well. 

http://plusonewater.ca 

www.pla-bottle-conference.com 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com 


News 

1st European Bioplastics 

Conference confirmed 

huge growth in interest 

300 attendees discussed 

progress in bioplastics 

Bioplastics are making great progress both 

in their technical development and market 

introduction into Europe. This was confirmed 

by many of the speakers and attendees at the 

„First European Bioplastics Conference“ on 21 und 

22 November 2006 in Brussels. The event, that was 

attended by about 300 participants from 27 countries 

was organised by the association European Bioplastics, 

the representation of the bioplastics industry 

in Europe. The huge interest confirmed the results 

of a survey done by European Bioplastics concerning 

market development in 2006, where many Association 

members reported a boom-like increase in interest. 

In his inaugural address, Heinz Zourek, Director- 

General of DG Enterprise and Industry of the European 

Commission, emphasised the significance of 

bioplastics for sustainable development. „Bioplastics 

contribute to climate protection, save fossil resources 

and create jobs in future-oriented sectors“, stated 

Zourek. „We hope that bioplastics can increase their 

market share in Europe“. Biobased and biodegradable 

plastics are among the most promising lead 

markets for innovations in Europe. 

European Bioplastics‘ Chairman, Harald Kaeb, was 

delighted about the conference that was accompanied 

by an exhibition with 25 exhibitors: „This was the 

largest bioplastics conference ever to take place in 

Europe“. He announced that the second conference 

will be held at the end of this year. 

10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/07] Vol. 2

News 

Bioplastics 2006 

Conference and Bioplastics Awards 

Chris Smith (left) hands over the 

Best Bioplastics Processor Award to 

Detlef Busch of Treofan (photo: Emap) 

Category 

Best Innovation in Bioplastics 

Best Bioplastics Processor 

Best Bioplastics Application – 

Food Packaging 


Non Food Packaging 


Non Packaging 

Best Bioplastics 

Marketing Initiative 

Best Bioplastics Retailer 

Sponsored by BIOP Biopolymer 

Technologies 

Personal Contribution to 

the Bioplastics Industry 

Nominees & Winners 

Metabolix 

Alcan Packaging 

Biobag International 

Biomer 

Sukano 

Treofan 

Autobar 

Biobag International 

Groen Creatie 

Coopbox Europe 


Cereplast 

Huhtamaki 

Nestle 

Innovia Films 


RPC Cresstale 

Arkema 

Batelle 

Ecozema 

Unitika 

BioBag International 

Belu 

Novamont 

Treofan 

Sainsbury’s 

Albert Heijn 

Coop Italia 

Delhaize 

Dr Catia Bastioli, 

General Manager, 

Novamont 

An audience of 115 people drawn from 25 countries 

around the world took part in the 8th Bioplastics conference 

in Frankfurt, Germany, on 6 and 7 December 

2006. They heard a series of high level presentations exploring 

use and potential of bio-sourced plastics in packaging and engineering 

applications and participated in detailed discussions 

of some of the issues the potential users face. 

Key themes to emerge from the Bioplastics 2006 conference 

included the increasingly apparent global shortages of PLA 

bioplastics materials, the ongoing concern over genetic modification 

and its role in the bioplastics sector, and the growing 

interest outside the US in bioplastics for durable applications. 

The World‘s first Bioplastics Awards 

The conference dinner on the evening of the first day of 

Bioplastics 2006 played host to the world’s first Bioplastics 

Awards. Launched to recognise innovation in this fast moving 

sector, awards were presented by European Plastics News 

editor Chris Smith. 

UK retail group Sainsbury’s picked up the prestigious award 

for Best Bioplastics Retailer 2006, a category sponsored by 

German bioplastics producer BIOP Bioploymer Technologies, 

for its recently announced move to bioplastics for 500 product 

lines. 

German film producer Treofan collected the Best Bioplastics 

Processor 2006 award for the development and capabilities of 

its Biophan PLA film business. Biobag International won the 

Best Bioplastics Marketing Initiative for its brand building programme. 

And Novamont general manager Catia Bastioli collected 

a special award for Personal Contribution to the Bioplastics 

Industry for her work inside and outside of Novamont in developing 

knowledge, standards and infrastructure around biopolymers. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/07] Vol. 2 11

News 

SEM-photo of a bioplastics 

surface, affected by micro 

organisms 

(photo: FH Hannover) 

Generation 

of a new 

Biopolymer 

Database 

photo: FH Hannover 

photo: Instron 

www.bv.fh-hannover.de 

www.m-base.de 


During the last 10-15 years a lot of different biopolymers 

were introduced to the market. Unfortunately, only very 

little qualified information about these materials in terms 

of mechanical or thermal properties, permeability, degradation or 

processing behaviour is available to the decision makers in the industry. 

Even though there has been remarkable research effort in 

the past, the results seem not to be accessible in a structured and 

well organised form. “Also the quality of the available information 

is doubtful, many files are out of date or incomplete. Interested 

users need to spend too much time searching for qualified material 

data and very often will not find answers to their questions” 

as Professor Hans-Josef Endres, University of Applied Sciences 

and Arts Hannover, Germany (Department of Bio-Process Engineering), 

points out. 

In order to improve the situation, the faculty started to create a 

Biopolymer Database which contains a full overview of the market. 

The guideline is the well known CAMPUS ® database, which has 

become the international standard information system for conventional 

Engineering Polymers. 

“The new Biopolymer Database will allow quick and easy access 

to information about biopolymer producers, contact persons 

and material properties, like mechanical properties, permeability, 

degradation or processing behaviour,” says Dipl.-Ing. Andrea Siebert, 

research engineer at the same faculty. 

The main goal of the project is to collect complete information 

about available biopolymers, using uniform standards and to generate 

comparable and complete material data. 

The result will be a database, which is compatible with the internationally 

accepted CAMPUS system and will be accessible 

through the internet. 

The project, that started at the end of 2006 is supported by the 

German Government (Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and 

Consumer Protection, coordinated by the Agency of Renewable 

Resources - FNR). Project participants are M-Base Engineering + 

Software from Aachen, Germany and European Bioplastics, Berlin. 

Dipl.-Ing. Andrea Siebert: “It is important to point out, that during 

this project, in contrast to old and recently published studies, 

only all the latest materials, which are really available on the market 

will be considered. In close cooperation with the biopolymer 

producers crucial processing, utilisation and disposal material 

data will be generated in a complete new test program organised 

and conducted by the project team.” 

For questions, suggestions or potential cooperation contact 

andrea.siebert@fh-hannover.de. 


24 - 25 April 2007 • Amsterdam 

“Opportunities for Biomass applications in Refineries 

& Investments in Biorefinery Technologies” 

• Agrotechnology & Food 

Sciences Group 

• Shell Global Solutions 

International 

• Institut National De La 

Recherche Agronomique 

• Inviting: Genencor 

• Cathay Biotechnology 

• Wageningen University & 

Research Centre (WUR) 

• EuropaBio 

• Novamont S.p.A 

• Bio2 Value Netherlands 

• Sud Chemie 

• Energy Centre of Netherlands (ECN) 

• Rohm & Haas 

• Port of Rotterdam 

• UOP 

• Institute for Energy & Environment 

Research Germany 

offi cial publication 

supporting publications 

supported by 

organised by 

 

 

 

 

v i s i t u s a t w w w . c m t e v e n t s . c o m 

Register Me Send sponsorship details Exhibitors 

Name 

Position 

Company 

Email 

Address 

Tel 

Fax 

TO REGISTER 

Online: www.cmtevents.com 

Email: meiyen@cmtsp.com.sg 

Fax: (65) 6345 5928 

Tel: (65) 6346 9124 

Post to: 80 Marine Parade Rd 

#13-02 Parkway Parade 

Singapore 449269 

Bioplastics

Automotive 


Automotive Applications 

First components are on the market, OEMs 

are evaluating and considering 

Flax 64,2% 

Hemp 9,5% 

Jute/Kenaf 11,2% 

Sisal 7,3% 

Other 7,9% 

source: nova-Institut 

Components of the Mercedes S-Class made of 

renewable raw materials (photo: Daimler Chrysler) 

The use of materials from renewable resources is really nothing 

new in the automotive industry. Natural fibres have been used for 

many years for their low density, their excellent mechanical and 

thermal properties, and of course their relatively low prices. Natural fibres 

that are used for automotive applications are flax, hemp, jute/kenaf, 

sisal etc. as well as wood and cotton. 

In a recent market study on natural fibres in the automotive industry 

the German „nova-Institut für Ökologie und Innovation“ published some 

figures on market volumes in Germany. nova-Institut found out that by 

the year 2005 approximately 30,000 tonnes of natural fibres were used 

in automotive applications in that country. The chart on the left shows 

the distribution of 19,000 tonnes of natural fibres, not including wood 

and cotton (for these two the institute could not obtain sufficient figures 

within their survey). However, nova-Institut estimates the quantity for 

2005 at about 27,000 tonnes of wood fibre and about 40,000 tonnes of respective 

wood fibre composites. For cotton, previous studies (2004) had 

stated about 45,000 tonnes of cotton and about 79,000 tonnes of respective 

composites for the year 2003. “And the amount of natural fibres in 

cars has been continuously increasing over recent years”, says Michael 

Carus from the nova-Institut, “The matrix is still PP in most cases, but it 

might well be PLA in a few years,” he adds. 


Automotive 

Applications of natural fibre composites include inner door linings 

(1.2 - 1.8 kg of natural fibres front and 0.8 - 1.5 kg in rear 

doors), trunk liners (up to 2 kg of natural fibres), rear shelves, roofliners, 

instrument panels, all kind of covers as well as injection 

moulded applications such as ventilation grilles. 

Pioneers in “automotive bioplastics” 

It was as early as in the first decade of the 20th century when 

Henry Ford started experimenting with the use of agricultural 

products for automotive applications. In 1915 a first production 

application was a coil housing for the Model-T Ford, made from 

a wheat gluten resin reinforced with asbestos fibres. Later Ford 

intensified his research on the use of a so-called soy meal. As fillers 

at up to 50 to 60 percent, cellulose fibres from hemp, wood 

flour or pulp from pine, cotton, flax, ramie, and even wheat, were 

used in combination with the soy meal. Soy meal plastics were 

used for a steadily increasing number of automobile parts, such as 

glove-box doors, gear-shift knobs, horn buttons, accelerator pedals, 

distributor heads, interior trim, steering wheels, instrument 

panels, and eventually a prototype exterior rear-deck lid (www. 

hempplastic.com). 

Polyurethane 

Even today, Ford Motor Company is investigating the use of 

soy for natural-based automotive applications. Ford researchers 

have formulated the chemistry to replace a staggering 40% of the 

standard petroleum-based polyol (one of the basic components of 

polyurethane) with a soy-derived material. While many in the auto 

industry are experimenting with a 5% soy-based polyol, “at 40%, 

we have the ability to make a significant impact on the environment, 

while reducing our dependency on imported petroleum”, 

says Dr. Matthew Zaluzec, manager of Ford‘s Materials Research 

& Advanced Engineering Department. 

PLA and kenaf 

Another pioneer of modern bioplastics for automotive applications 

is Toyota Motor Corporation. The Toyota RAUM, a domestic 

model introduced in 2003 is equipped with a cover for the spare 

tyre made of Toyota Eco-Plastic. 

This PLA material is based on sugar beet and, for the spare 

wheel cover, combined with kenaf fibres. At their own PLA pilot 

plant, the “Hirose Plant” with an annual output of 1,000 tonnes, 

Toyota have researched and tried various raw materials including 

sweet potatoes grown in Indonesia. 

The output of the plant is mainly for Toyota‘s internal use and 

external non-automotive applications such as on-desk cell-phone 

chargers, tennis racket strings or inner cases for cosmetics products, 

all of these being sold only in Japan. Toyota also produced 

floor mats making use of PLA in order to demonstrate this application 

to customers. This project has since been terminated, according 

to Hiroshi Higuchi, General Manager of Toyota‘s Bio-Plastic 

Project Department, Biotechnology & Afforestation Division. 

Henry Ford tests his car made from plant-based 

materials- including hemp 

„The axe bounced, and there was no dent...“ 

photo from „A Modern Introduction To Hemp“ by Paul 

Benhaim available www.hemp.co.uk 

photos: Toyota 


Automotive 

photo: Toyota 

For the future, Toyota is investigating the use of other bioplastics and 

their potentials, as well as further PLA applications for more model 

ranges. Details, however were not disclosed. 

In 1998, with the goal of helping to solve global environmental issues 

and alleviate food shortages, Toyota began research and development 

into biotechnology and afforestation. Toyota built the Toyota Biotechnology 

and Afforestation Laboratory to establish an R&D structure and has 

been working to accelerate business. The biotechnology and afforestation 

businesses are ventures with growth potential but also represent 

Toyota’s efforts to help build a recycling-based society. Toyota is aiming 

to realise the coexistence of environmental protection and economic 

growth by utilising environmental technologies, including biotechnology. 

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that an industry-government-academia 

joint research project in Hiroshima Prefecture, in which 

Mazda is participating, has achieved an improved exterior surface quality, 

high-strength, heat-resistant bioplastic made of natural materials 

that can be used for vehicle interior parts such as the door module part 

shown in the picture on the left. 

This newly-developed bioplastic is made from 88 % corn-based PLA 

and 12 % petroleum-based additives. Mainly using corn-based polylactic 

acids, Nishikawa Rubber Co. Ltd, Hiroshima and Kinki Universities 

focused their efforts on developing a new nucleating agent for crystallisation 

and a compatibiliser compound to raise the strength and heat 

resistance of the new plastic, dramatically increasing the amount of applications 

for automobile manufacturing. 

photo: Mazda 

The material is said to feature three times the shock impact resistance 

along with 25 % higher heat resistance when compared with contemporary 

bioplastics used for items such as electrical appliances. In 

addition, it is made by a fermentation process that, compared with the 

process to make polypropylene, reduces energy use by 30 %. In contrast 

to current petroleum-based polypropylene, the new bioplastic also has 

comparatively higher rigidity, resulting in thinner mouldings and fewer 

materials used. These attributes hold great promise for better productivity 

in the mass production of vehicle parts, since parts manufacture 

frequently involves injection-moulding equipment. Mazda will continue 

its research and development in this area for the next several years, with 


any new advances to be employed in Mazda products. The use 

of bioplastics is one of many efforts that Mazda is undertaking 

as a countermeasure to global warming, according to a Mazda 

spokesperson. Mazda will keep up its proactive technical 

research on eco-friendly products for potential customers. 

The research program was conducted by a consortium consisting 

of two universities, seven companies and two research 

institutes, and began in 2004. 

PBS (polybutylene succinate) and bamboo 

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, in cooperation with the 

Aichi Industrial Technology Institute (Kariya, Aichi Prefecture), 

has developed an automotive interior material which 

uses polybutylene succinate (PBS), combined with bamboo 

fibre. PBS, the main component of the material, is a plantbased 

resin composed mainly of succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol. 

The succinic acid for the material will be created 

by the fermentation of sugar extracted from sugar cane or 

corn. The new material combines bamboo fibre with PBS in 

order to increase its rigidity. Bamboo grows to its full height 

in just a few years, compared with the tens of years required 

for traditional timber, and as such may be called a potentially 

sustainable resource. Bamboo is available and can be grown 

in a wide variety of areas including Japan, China, and Southeast 

Asia. The use of this “Green Plastic” may lead to further 

breakthroughs in the use of bamboo. 

Parts made from the material will be used in the interior of 

a new-concept minicar, to be launched in Japan this year. Mitsubishi 

Motors will continue to promote the development of 

environmentally friendly materials, directed toward increased 

practical applications. 

According to tests, this PBS/bamboo-fibre prototype 

achieves an estimated 50% cut in lifecycle CO 2 

emissions over 

polypropylene. VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels are 

also drastically reduced in comparison with processed wood 

hardboards (roughly 85% in testing). 

In addition to Green Plastic, Mitsubishi Motors is undertaking 

development of environmental technologies including the 

MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle) concept, 

and technologies contributing to a comfortable interior environment 

such as Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified seating 

material, the Bio-clear filter, and deodorant roof-lining. Mitsubishi 

aims to build cars appropriate to this, the „century of 

the environment“. 

Biobased fabrics 

Automotive 

photo: Mitsubishi 


Automotive 

The development of a plant-based „bio-fabric“ with excellent durability and resistance 

to sunlight, for use as a surface material in automobile interiors has been 

announced by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 

Despite the environmental benefits offered by its CO 2 

balance, plant-based fabric 

has not been used commercially for automobile interiors due to concerns about 

limited durability and aesthetics. 

Car seat with the new bio-fabric 

and a spool of yarn (photo: Honda) 

www.nova-institut.de 

www.ford.com 

www.toyota.co.jp 

http://world.honda.com 

www.mitsubishi.com 

www.mazda.com 

Sheets of the bio-fabric (photo: Honda) 

Honda‘s bio-fabric has overcome such issues, and achieved a soft and smooth 

material appropriate for the surface of automobile interiors, with high durability 

and excellent resistance to sunlight to prevent colour fading after prolonged use. 

In addition to seat surfaces, this bio-fabric can be used for the interior surface of 

the doors and roof, and for floor mats. 

A polyester material called PPT (polypropylene terephthalate) is the basic material 

of the bio-fabric. PPT is produced by polymerisation of corn-based 1-3PDO 

(propanediol) from DuPont/Tate&Lyle, and terephthalic acid, a petroleum-based 

component. In order to improve stability as a fabric, Honda applied a multi-thread 

structure for the fibre with petroleum-derived PET fibres, etc. so that the ratio of 

bio-based components ranges approximately from 30% to 40%. In addition, unprecedented 

aesthetic properties were achieved by leveraging the flexibility of this 

fibre. The threads from which Honda produced the fabric were developed in cooperation 

with DuPont and Toray Industries in a joint research project. 

Based on the concept of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), Honda has been striving 

to reduce CO 2 

emissions throughout the entire life cycle of an automobile – from 

production and usage to disposal. Thanks to the use of a plant-based ingredient 

in the production of raw materials, the newly developed bio-fabric will enable 

Honda to reduce the energy used during the production process by 10 to 15% 

compared with the production of petroleum-based polyester materials. The use 

of plant-based ingredients can reduce CO 2 

emissions by 5 kg per automobile, calculated 

on the Accord class of vehicles. Furthermore, the new bio-fabric does not 

require changes in existing fabric production processes, and is suitable for mass 

production. Honda will first introduce bio-fabric interiors with their new fuel cell 

vehicle, then gradually try to expand the application to new models from 2009 and 

beyond. 

Conclusion 

There‘s a lot of development going on out there, and bioplastics MAGAZINE has 

not been able to report on all of it in this issue. 

Compared with other fields of application, such as packaging for fast moving 

consumer goods, one fact seems obvious, at least today: The question of sustainability, 

in other words the increased use of renewable resources and thus the 

reduction of the CO 2 

impact on the climate, as well as reduced consumption of 

fossil resources, is much more important for the automotive industry than the 

compostability of bioplastics. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE will continue to report on new developments in the automotive 

industry. And as always, comments, suggestions and any other contributions 

from our readers are more than welcome. 


Automotive 

As one of the world‘s largest tyre manufacturers 

Goodyear continuously carries out scientific 

research to improve the performance of its 

product. At the same time the company is sensitive to 

environmental issues, and seeks to reduce to a minimum 

the pollutants used in the production processes 

Reduce petroleum-based components 

Traditional fillers in tyres are carbon black, diatomite 

and silica. In searching for an environmentally more 

sustainable solution that also achieves a high level of 

product quality, the collaboration between Novamont 

and Goodyear led to the creation of a “bio-tyre”, which 

uses BioTRED technology to partly replace these fillers. 

Mater-Bi ® by Novamont, used in the production of 

BioTRED, is a special patented formula derived from 

corn. The starch is treated to obtain nano-droplets of a 

complexed starch. In a next step, these nano droplets 

are added to the rubber compound to be transformed 

into a biopolymeric filler. 

Environmental advantages 

According to Novamont and Goodyear the bio-tyres, 

marketed in in Europe, for instance, as GT3, or in Japan 

(in Japan all tyres are BioTRED) as GT-HYBRID 

and EAGLE LS3000, feature physical properties that 

differ substantially from those of the traditional fillers 

and thus offer several environmental advantages. Not 

only does the tyre require less energy in its production, 

and not only does the cultivation of corn absorb CO 2 

, 

but the tyre actually requires less energy to move the 

car thanks to a reduced rolling resistance. In combination 

with a lower tyre weight this is said to add up to 

a 5% saving in fuel consumption. 

Further advantages announced by the two companies 

are a reduction in noise, and therefore in sound 

pollution, better road-holding in the wet, improved 

grip and steering ability, and therefore better safety. 

Award and support 

In July 2001 the GT3 tyres won an award from Legambiente, 

the biggest non-profit environmentalist 

organisation in Italy, and the Politecnico di Milano 

(Polytechnic University of Milan), the largest technical 

university in Italy. 

And just recently, the European Commission has 

awarded Goodyear a major research and development 

grant to support the company‘s initiative in the further 

development of environmentally friendly tyres. The 

grant of three million Euros is part of the European 

Union‘s LIFE-Environment programme. Research 

partner in this project is, besides Novamont, the German 

car maker BMW. 

Bio-Tyres 

save energy 

and CO 2 

Novamont‘s collaboration with Goodyear 

led to the creation of a bio-tyre 

www.materbi.it 

www.goodyear.com 

LIFE: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/home.htm 

photo: Novamont 


Automotive 

all photos: Nokian 

Rapeseed oil gives 

grip on wintry roads 

When Nokian Tyres from the town of Nokia in Finland, 

the northernmost tyre manufacturer in the world, developed 

their new winter tyre - the Nokian WR - creative 

solutions were found to produce more grip: a quadrangleshaped 

stud and rapeseed oil, which is a natural raw material. 

Finnish rapeseed oil constitutes a significant part of the oil 

used in the tyre’s tread. The rubber compound is made of silica 

and plant-based rapeseed oil as a softener. 

Rapeseed oil is less of a burden on the environment than the 

non-renewable mineral oils manufactured from petroleum. It 

degrades biologically. The rapeseed oil is a basic cold-pressed 

oil, which is refined using Nokian Tyres’ own process designed 

to suit its tyre production. In addition to rapeseed oil, the tread 

mix contains only low aromatic oils; no highly aromatic, harmful 

oils are used. 

The compound improves the tyre’s wet weather properties and 

enhances handling. The natural oil increases wear resistance 

and improves tyre grip in cool weather. The new compound reduces 

rolling resistance, which also contributes to reduced fuel 

consumption. All in all, the product has become much more environmentally 

friendly. 

Bridgestone Europe now holds 18.9% of Nokian Tyres’ share 

capital and voting rights. 


Automotive 

Flax and 

Linseed Oil- 

Acrylate put 

Race Car in 

Pole Position 

Biodiesel powered racing Mustang has 

a body made from bioplastics 

The special thing about this car, racing under 

the “BioConcept-Car” banner, is not 

only that it is being driven by Smudo, frontman 

of the famous German hip-hop band “Die 

Fantastischen Vier”, but also some other features 

closely linked to keywords such as sustainability 

and bioplastics. 

In a nutshell: The Ford Mustang GT RTDi based 

race car was developed in close cooperation between 

Four Motors PR GmbH, Invent GmbH, and 

the German Aerospace Center (DLR). It features 

a 2-litre, 270 PS (266.3 HP) Ford Galaxy Biodiesel 

engine and a body made of linseed oil acrylate, 

reinforced with flax fibres – i.e. 100% bio based 

raw materials and - by the way – both from the 

same plant. 

“With this race car, for the first time, renewable 

resources show their capabilities in extreme 

situations,” said the German Undersecretary of 

State Dr. Peter Paziorek, when the car was first 

introduced in May 2006. The whole project was 

supported by the FNR Agency for Renewable 

Resources, established by the German Federal 

Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection 

(BMELV). Not only is the flax/linseed oil 

acrylate composite comparable to carbon fibre 

reinforced plastic with regard to strength and 

rigidity, it is also significantly lighter in weight 

than conventional composites. “We find it really 

remarkable that this BioConcept-Car competes 

in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring with an 

appropriate Biodiesel fuel,” Paziorek added. 

The doors, wings (fenders), bumpers, bonnet 

(hood), hatchback and the rear spoiler of the Bio- 

Concept Mustang GT RTDi were manufactured 

by the company Invent GmbH of Braunschweig, 

Germany. In close cooperation with the Agency 

for Renewable Resources (FNR), Invent have already 

tested different bio-composites over the 


Automotive 

Even Simone, our covergirl was enthusiastic: 

“A phantastic car and a great day for me” 

Car type: 

Ford Mustang GT RTDi 

Engine: 

Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI (bored up to 2 Litre) 

Technical Data: 

• Front engine, rear-wheel drive 

• Tuning: 

GERMAN TORQUE FACTORY & FOUR MOTORS 

• 4 cylinder, 16 valves, pump-injector element 

• 1,969 cc 

• 260-280 PS (256.44-276.16 horsepower) 

• 480 - 520 Nm torque 

• Top speed: at least 245 km/h (152.24 Mph) 

• Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h - 

about 5 seconds 

• Sequential 5-gear transmission (DRENTH) 

• The most powerful Biodiesel engine 

in the world 

last few years. Natural fibres such as flax, hemp 

or cotton were combined with bioplastics to form 

rigid components. The first prototype applications 

were fire-fighter helmets and a canoe. The body 

parts of the race car, however, not only had to be 

weatherproof, but also had to fulfil all the safety 

requirements for automobiles. Thus for the body 

parts a flax-cotton fabric was soaked with linseed 

oil-acrylate, developed by Hobum Oleochemicals 

GmbH of Hamburg, Germany. While the flax fibres 

provide the necessary rigidity, the cotton 

fibres are more elastic and can absorb impact 

loads. Depending on the desired wall thickness, 

several layers of fabric were combined and put 

into a mould. After evacuating the mould the acrylate 

was introduced into the closed mould by a 

resin injection process. In order to compress the 

composite properly, the process was continued in 

an autoclave at elevated temperatures and pressure. 

Flax or hemp-fibre reinforced plastics (albeit 

fossil based), are well established in today’s automotive 

industry. Covered with leather or textiles, 

those components are, for example, inner 

door linings, rear shelves or spare wheel wells. 

Besides the ecological advantage, car designers 

appreciate the excellent mechanical properties in 

combination with a low density. In case of a crash 


Automotive 

natural fibre reinforced composites do not splinter, 

nor do they expose sharp edges. 

The PSP Racing Team, together with Four Motors, 

headed by Thomas von Loewis, is the first 

racing team ever to start with a race car featuring 

a body partially made from renewable resources. 

“We wanted to prove that environmental sustainability 

is possible even in a racing car. Therefore we 

want to inform the public that the message is: we 

can all stay mobile, even if crude oil is in short supply 

within the next 35 or so years”, said Thomas. 

In addition to the bio-body and the “Flower-Power 

Biodiesel” the car is equipped with environmentally 

neutral lubricants by LiquiMoly, and further 

components are under evaluation. 

The Mustang GT RTDi is currently undergoing 

some technical improvements. The team wants to 

be one of the most successful challengers in the 

upcoming 2007 racing season at the Nürburgring. 

Four Motors and Ford Europe are in advanced negations 

regarding whether Four Motors could prepare 

and race a Ford Focus ST with a Bioethanol 

powered engine alongside the Ford Mustang GT 

RTDi. Four Motors hopes that this will be agreed, 

giving them a second bio-fuel on the “BioConcept- 

Car” platform. So we can certainly look forward to 

the 2007 racing season. 

Hiphop star and race 

driver Smudo (left) 

www.invent-gmbh.de 

www.fnr.de 

www.hobum.de 

www.dlr.de 

www.fourmotors.com 


Materials 

Bioplastic Polyamide 11 

for automotive 

www.rilsan.com 

www.jora.jp/eng 

fuel line applications 

Fuel line system 

“Biomass based” label from JORA 

Global warming and other environmental concerns drive 

advances in the automotive industry to minimize the environmental 

impact of today’s cars. Governmental regulations 

such as Californian Legislation or EURO 4 set restrictive limits 

for fuel and tailpipe emissions and are tightening towards 

zero emission levels. Using renewable source materials and 

fuel, such as biodiesel and bioethanol, significantly reduces 

greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on fossil fuels. 

Alternative engine technology, such as hybrid engines, 

is a further step towards emission-free vehicles. The use of 

renewable source fuels such as biodiesel and flexfuel combined 

with the use of Arkema’s biobased Rilsan ® PA11 can 

significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

High performance Polyamide 

Arkema’s high performance products such as petroleum 

based Rilsan polyamide 12 and bio-based PA11, have been 

used for over 30 years as a rubber and metal substitute for 

low-permeation tubing applications in the transportation industry. 

Fuel lines and other demanding safety applications 

have imposed severe requirements on construction materials. 

These must withstand attack from chemicals, heat or 

fuel, as well any strong temperature variations for the lifetime 

of the vehicle. High performance polyamides deliver 

these citical properties. End-users benefit from corrosion 

resistance, easier assembly, and better design possibilities, 

all at a reduced cost. Rilsan polyamide 11 provides an outstanding 

level of safety, durability and versatility for highly 

demanding applications, and is superior to petroleum based 

polyamide 12 in many applications. 

Polyamide 11 made from vegetable oil 

In contrast to other high performance polyamides such 

as polyamide 12, Rilsan bioplastic polyamide 11 is derived 

from a renewable source: castor oil. In 2006, Rilsan polyamide 

11 received the „Biomass Based“ label from Japan 

Organics Recycling Association (JORA). Eco-profile assessment 

provides valuable insight into the way PA11 performs 

environmentally compared to conventional performance 

plastics. Due to the fact that the starting feedstock is biomass, 

the consumption of fossil fuel is one of the lowest of 


Materials 

performance polymers. Greenhouse gas emissions for PA11 

production are much lower than for all other performance 

polymers. The explanation for this feature is that PA11 production 

starts with a significant atmospheric CO 2 

consumption 

(castor seed cultivation), leading to a reduction of CO 2 

emission of up to –40%. 

Bioplastic Rilsan PA11 for Biodiesel fuel lines 

Arkema’s Rilsan PA11 has been approved by several automotive 

manufacturers for biodiesel fuel lines in Europe and 

Brazil. Rilsan PA11 features excellent ageing resistance to 

biodiesel at high temperature, opening the way to the use of 

biodiesel in automotive fuel lines. 

Today’s increasing use of biofuels has led Arkema to develop 

a new Rilsan grade, BESN Noir P210TL, specifically 

for designed biodiesel fuels. Biofuels are much more aggressive 

than traditional crude oil based fuels. “Rilsan 

BESN Noir P210TL offers superior performance compared 

to polyamide 12, with outstanding chemical and mechanical 

ageing resistance at high temperature in particular,” says 

Martin Baumert, Market Manager Automotive Rilsan, Orgalloy, 

Technical Polymers Division at Arkema. The use of 


with the use of biobased Rilsan PA11 can significantly 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Arkema‘s polyamide grades are well known for fuel lines 

in diesel cars. Rilsan has been the reference material for 

diesel fuel lines thanks to its resistance to high temperatures 

in under-hood environments for several years. Rilsan 

PA offers significant cost savings over traditional rubber or 

metal assemblies. In addition, biobased Rilsan PA11 can be 

paired with conductive Rilsan PA11 in a multilayer structure, 

such as Arkema’s Rilperm 2101 multilayer technology, to 

comply with Standard SAE J1645 (Rilperm ® 2101). 

Rilsan product range for quick connectors 

Thermoplastic fuel lines are connected through quick 

connectors. Rilsan PA11 and PA12 resins meet the demanding 

requirements for connectors used in automotive fuel 

contact applications. Both standard and conductive grades 

are available. 

Conclusion 

Arkema’s Rilsan polyamides and Rilperm fuel line technology 

allow customers to meet the most stringent standards 

and specification requirements in terms of fuel permeability, 

mechanical properties, and ageing resistance in 

increasingly demanding engine environments. The use of 


with the use of biobased Rilsan PA11 can significantly 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Quick connectors 

Castor Plant 

All photos: Arkema 


Materials 

The German company Polyfea of Zell im Wiesental 

recently introduced a novel biodegradable material 

system which is especially suitable for water proofed 

applications in agriculture, horticulture, landscaping, 

nurseries, viniculture, greenhouse, floristry and forestry. 

Caprowax P TM is based on a patented mix of aliphatic 

polyesters and modified vegetable triglycerides and is 

free of nitrogen and aromatics. 

Novel 

Two different Caprowax P compounds are currently 

available. Caprowax P 6002 can be used for the manufacture 

of thermoformed and injection moulded products 

such as plant pots, vases, cans, boards, edge protection 

and similar applications. 

biodegradable material 

...for textile systems, composites, 

thin-walled containers and wrappings 

Monofilaments and fibres for fabrics can be produced 

with Caprowax P 6006. Potential applications are nonmetallic 

binding wires, threads, strings, knotted and 

bound systems, tracery, webs and different fabrics 

made from round, flat, tear-proof and compressible 

monofilaments. Bottles, tubes, balloons, pipes, hoses 

etc. can be manufactured by extrusion or stretch blow 

moulding.This compound is also available as a powder 

and can be used as a matrix for composites with natural 

fibres, for bonding purposes or as a carrier material. 

For the processing of Caprowax P pre-drying is not 

necessary. Processing temperatures are between 80° 

and 150°C, which allows gentle processing at low viscosities. 

Materbatches in many different colours are 

also available. 

Caprowax P compounds are waterproofed, flexible at 

low temperatures and do not tend to develop mildew. 

„Our products are made from 53% to 77% renewable 

resources, protected by European patents and 

Caprowax P 6006 is compostable according to EN 13432 

in profiles up to 500 µm thick“ comments Albrecht Dinkelaker, 

General Manager and Owner of Polyfea. 

www.caprowax-p.de 


Materials 

“Let’s Be One with 

Mother Nature” 

www.econeerusa.com 

EcoPol TM is an aliphatic polyester copolymer which 

Econeer Co., Ltd from USA / South Korea developed by 

using ethylene glycol, dimethyl isophthalate, adipic acid as 

main ingredients with the goal of making progress for the 

environment under the motto of “Let’s Be One with Mother 

Nature”. Most of the base ingredients are from renewable 

resources such as corn and beans. 

The synthesis of the EcoPol base resin goes through a 

two stage reaction called esterification and polycondensation. 

With simple processes which are characteristic for 

polyester synthesis, various kinds of monomers can be 

copolymerized. By controlling the composition of the materials 

and the catalytic system the mechanical properties 

can be adjusted in order to meet the requirements of potential 

applications. 

Left: Songchul Kim, president of Econeer Korea 

right: Eugene Lee, president of Econeer USA 

EcoPol compound is available for instance as film with 

different thicknesses and physical properties and can thus 

adjust its biodegradation speed for example in soil. So it 

can be used not only for agricultural applications such 

as mulching film but also for packaging materials such 

as compost bag, disposable table cover etc, continuously 

broadening its scope of applications. Especially, the disposable 

EcoPol table cover gets a good reputation from 

customers due to its excellent water proof properties, 

resistance to oil, strength and rigidity, as the company 

states. 

Compared to other biodegradable plastics currently sold 

on the market which are susceptible to heat and difficult 

to process in injection moulding, EcoPol not only offers excellent 

heat stability with a softening point of 100-110°C. 

With its adjustable melt index, it can be can be used for 

a number of applications such as film, coating material, 

adhesive, ink binder, injection moulded, extruded and 

thermoformed products. “With these advantages in addition 

to a competitive price, Econneer aims to expand its 

marktes,” says Eugene Lee, president of Econeer USA, 

Inc.. “We are contstantly trying to improve the mechanical 

and thermal properties as well as the processability of our 

resins alongside with efforts to reduce the cost”, he adds. 

The name Econeer stands for Ecology + Pioneer which 

means that the company strives for being one of the leading 

companies in the development of new technologies for 

the preservation of the environment. “Our products will be 

the frontrunner to realize the company motto of harmonizing 

human with nature and will grow to be the main 

contributing product for greener world and more affluent 

human life”, as Eugene puts it. 


Processing 

PLA – 

Environmental protection is getting more and more important, 

at the same time crude oil prices are highly volatile 

and raw material costs are as high as never before. 

Therefore, the future of packaging materials relies on environmentally 

friendly resources. 

Sample applications for cast PLA film 

(all packaging pictures: Natureworks) 

Article contributed by 

Volker Siebott, Brückner Formtec, 

Siegsdorf, Germany 

PLA Casting Unit with Pinning Technology (photo: Brückner) 

As there are a couple of biodegradable materials like Cellophane, 

Cellulose Acetate, starch based PVOH and PHB/PHA, 

PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) is the most cost competitive material to 

be used in commodity applications. 

PLA is made from annually renewable resources, preferably 

corn, and 100% biodegradable. It offers best material properties, 

that are comparable to PET and better than PS and thus 

is perfectly suitable to replace these materials in a wide range 

of applications. Outstanding properties like high stiffness and 

tensile strength and even higher transparency and exceptional 

surface gloss (haze less than 5 %) as well as good chemical 

resistance against greases, fats and oils are arguments for the 

market success of PLA. Excellent barrier properties, especially 

of aroma and flavour, the high water vapour transmission rate 

(WVTR) as well as FDA approval for food contact make it perfectly 

suitable for packaging of organically grown „green“ foodstuff 

and thus provide good shelf impact, while demonstrating 

environment responsibility when disposing. 

Regarding converting features it can be said that it is fully 

thermoformable with existing equipment, provides low sealing 

temperature and high seal strength and can be thermolaminated 

to paper or cardboard. Furthermore it offers an inherent 

dyne level of 38 and thus is easily printable and offers good lay 

flat properties. 

As economical reasons the independency of crude oil prices 

and the ability to reduce material consumption by down-gauging 

due to the high stiffness can be named. 

But also marketing reasons like the growing environmental 

awareness and the trend towards „green“ food (bio-food in biopackaging) 

as well as governmental subsidies will heat up the 

demand and need for rigid PLA packaging. 

Natureworks LLC is the world leader in producing such materials 

with an annual production capacity of 140,000 tons of Poly 

Lactic Acid per annum, and plans to further extend this production 

capacity to 210,000 tons. Brückner Formtec GmbH from 


Processing 

The Future of 

Rigid Packaging? 

Brückner Formtec develops line concept tailored to PLA 

Siegsdorf, Germany, has developed a process to produce PLA 

film and sheet in a very cost effective way. This technology has 

been presented to public for the first time on the 3rd CEE Film 

and Sheet conference in Budapest, Hungary in April 2006. 

Processing of PLA sheet and film 

The main requirements for the new process were best product 

properties and, at the same time low production costs. The 

best way to cut production costs per unit is to increase productivity 

through higher output volume and higher line speed. Due 

to process limitations, the regular calandering process is only 

capable of a maximum diameter of about 800 mm for the first 

cooling roller and thus the cooling capacity is limited. Considering 

the state of the art roll stack widths and speeds, result 

in a maximum output of around 900 kg/h. The reason for such 

a low output is to be found in the very low heat transfer coefficient 

of PLA and the tendency of PLA to stick at the polishing 

roller. These reasons limit the production speed even further. 

Due to the vast experience in biaxial orienting technology 

and excellent results in producing such biaxially oriented PLA 

(BOPLA) films on the Brückner Group laboratory line, Brückner 

Formtec decided to go for the proven and reliable cast film 

technology with pinning as the basis to develop a new concept. 

Furthermore Bückner’s engineers took a closer look at the 

material and found out that the overall energy consumption 

can be reduced drastically by using a twin screw extruder, 

avoiding the slow and energy intensive predrying of the hygroscopic 

raw material. A further benefit of the twin screw technology 

is that problems with sticky regrind are omitted and the 

equipment for predrying and crystallizing is not necessary. To 

avoid degradation due to long residence time and high shearing, 

Brückner developed a new, shorter extruder with special, 

smooth screw design. Compared to other materials, PLA can 

be processed at a temperature of 220°C. 

Brückner Formtec expects a rapid growth of PLA applications 

in rigid packaging. Especially in the area of disposable 

convenience packaging for fresh food with a short shelf life 

significant growth rates are expected. A further argument for 

the use in agricultural packaging is that the high stiffness suggests 

freshness. 

Furthermore packaging of bread and other bakery 

goods that are packed warm are promising due to the 

antifog properties of PLA. 

In the area of cheese and salami packaging, PLA 

enables riping and thus enhances shelf life. 

Brückner Formtec PLA Cast lines key features: 

• Twin screw extrusion for highest efficiency 

• High efficiency cast film technology 

• Output up to 2,000 kg/h, speed up to 75 m/min. 

• Thickness range from 250 µm up to 1,200 µm 

• Proven pinning technology 

• Unchallenged cost per unit 

Brückner Formtec, member of the German Brückner 

Group, was founded in 2001 and is a global supplier 

of flat film extrusion systems. 

The range of machinery covers cast film and sheet 

extrusion, focussing on the rapidly growing CPP, 

LLDPE and PET markets. Twin screw technology is an 

important feature for PET extrusion, eliminating the 

need for raw material pre-drying. 

www.brueckner.com 

Twinscrew (photo: Brückner) 


Applications 

photos: Innovia 

Transparent 

heat-sealable 

compostable 

film 

New biodegradable and 

compostable film for food 

applications under chill conditions 

www.innoviafilms.com 

A new grade of Innovia Films‘ NatureFlex TM biodegradable 

was launched by the company in last October. NatureFlex 

NVS film has been specifically formulated to offer 

improved stiffness under chill cabinet conditions and 

features a heat-sealable conversion-friendly coating on 

both sides. While the film is semi permeable to moisture, 

providing good anti-mist properties, on the other 

had it offers a good barrier to gases and aromas. Target 

applications include the flow packing of fresh produce, 

window bags and bakery. 

The high gloss film with enhanced transparency has 

inherent anti-static properties, good dead-fold properties 

and is resistant against oil and greases. Enhanced 

printability and controlled slip properties ensure easier 

conversion. NatureFlex NVS is currently available in 23 

and 30 micron thicknesses. 

The cellulose based NatureFlex films are derived from 

renewable wood pulp which is sourced from managed 

plantations operating good forestry principals (FSC or 

equivalent). In addition to meeting EN13432, ASTM D6400 

and Australian AS4736 standards for compostable packaging, 

NatureFlex is also suitable for home composting. 

One of the first supermarkets to adopt the new film 

is Sainsbury‘s in the UK. In September Sainsbury‘s announced 

that they would change over 500 product lines 

to biopackaging. The objective is to save 4,000 tons of 

fossil-based plastics annually. For Sainsbury‘s, Innovia 

Films deliver the film to Natura A.S.P. Ltd for conversion 

to the packers requirements. The film is printed first with 

the compostable logo and reference numbers before being 

micro-perforated at A.S.P.‘s plant in Watford, in order 

to tailor gas permeability to the products‘ requirements. 

The film is then used by Sainsbury‘s to flow-wrap a wide 

range of own brand organic fruit and vegetables. 

Andy Sweetman, Innovia Films‘ Market Development 

Manager, Sustainable Technologies says „Innovia Films 

have been supplying Sainsbury‘s packers with NatureFlex 

through A.S.P. for use on organic produce for nearly five 

years. Their recent declaration to considerably increase 

the use of biodegradable and compostable packaging is 

a strong indication that environmental issues are seriously 

being considered by the major retail chains. Our 

new NatureFlex NVS grade significantly improves packaging 

performance in such applications.“ 


ioplastic study 

A worldwide 

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More than 40 plastics by 30 manufacturers 

Intensive material testing and data research 

Comparative presentation of the technical 

characteristics and processing properties of tested 

biodegradable materials 

Additional summary on the current international 

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In cooperation with the Institute for 

Recycling - Wolfsburg, Germany 

bioplastics24.com... 

bioplastics24.com... 

… is the new information and market platform for the 

bioplastics industry 

… provides an overview over current bioplastic news 

and events 

… offers comprehensive background information on 

the benefits of bioplastics 

… comprises an industry directory and market 

overview 

More information at www.bioplastics24.com 

Week 1 

Week 2 

Week 3 

Week 4 

BIODEGRADATION PROCESS 

EcoWorks ® 

www.EcoFilm.com 

info@CortecVCI.com 

1-800-4-CORTEC 

St. Paul, MN 55110 USA 

© Cortec Corporation 2006 

70® 

100% 

Biodegradable EcoWorks 

Replacement for Plastic and Polyethylene 

Up to 70% Bio-based With 

Annually Renewable Resources 

From thick rigid plastic cards to fl exible protective wrap, 

EcoWorks ® 70 by Cortec ® Research Chemists offers universal, 

biodegradable replacement to traditional plastic 

and polyethylene films. This patent pending breakthrough 

meets ASTM D6400 and DIN V 54 900. EcoWorks ® 70 

does not contain polyethylene or starch but relies heavily 

on renewable, bio-based polyester from corn. 100% 

biodegradable, it turns into water and carbon dioxide in 

commercial composting.

Report 

Novamont Biorefinery 

Beyond oil – towards a bioeconomy 

Starch 

“Beyond oil, towards a bioeconomy: the Bio-Refinery integrated 

in the territory” was the topic of a meeting organized 

by Novamont S.p.A. at their headquarters in Novara, Italy in 

October of 2006. On the occasion of the opening of their new 

premises in Novara, Novamont announced the launch of their 

so-called “Green Bio-Refinery” in Terni, Italy. Once the plant is 

working at its full capacity, scheduled for 2008, Novamont will 

reach an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes of bioplastics, which 

are completely biodegradable, can be used as fertilizers and 

have a limited environmental impact throughout their cycle of 

life, as the company stated during the meeting. 

Create Synergies 

The basic idea was to exploit synergies between the agricultural 

and the industrial sectors in the province of Terni and 

generate a possibility of growth for both. Thus a collaboration 

between Coldiretti, representing 600 local farmers, and Novamont 

(and others represented by the Industrial Association of 

the Province of Terni) was created in early 2006. 

For the agricultural sector that suffers from “set aside” 

zones (agricultural land that is left uncultivated) this collaboration 

will create new applications for agricultural products, 

which could compensate for the high cost of production and 

the low returns from the food market. In Italy alone, more than 

800,000 hectares (approx. 1.98 million acres) of agricultural 

land are left uncultivated due to legislative decisions of the 

European Union (EU), for the time being attenuated by some 

contributions from the EU to the farmers. 


Report 

The Biorefinery ... 

Novamont Biorefinery in Terni will use the agricultural 

products of the region to produce bioplastics 

such as OrigoBi ® and MaterBi ® , both components of 

a vast range of products of everyday use and of intermediate 

products for the chemical industry. The 

Biorefinery is an environment friendly and financially 

valid model which aims at solving in an effective way 

the various problems related to the economy such 

as the high price of petrol and its limited supply, the 

said crisis in the agricultural sector due to the creation 

of “set-aside” zones and other serious environmental 

issues as a spokesman of Novamont pointed 

out. With the Novamont Biorefinery system, theoretically, 

it is possible to produce approximately 2 million 

tonnes of bioplastics, by re-converting these hectares 

of land into sweet corn and oleaginous plants cultures. 

This amount is equal to a quarter of the entire Italian 

demand of plastics, half of the entire quantity of disposable 

products. This project is, therefore, perfectly 

compatible with other kinds of cultures and may start 

an entire economic industrial chain, according to a 

systematic environmental competitiveness. 

... is a role-model for others 

Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont said “We have 

signed an agreement with Coldiretti with a view to promoting 

specific cultivation destined for the production 

of bioplastics. This is an important resource for the local 

agricultural sector considering that the fact very 

soon incentives from the European Union will come 

to an end. Thus an agreement of collaboration has a 

strategic importance in facing the agricultural crisis, 

solving the growing problems of environmental pollution, 

understanding the needs of having to use renewable 

resources for production and avoiding wastage of 

energy”. And she added that Novamont Biorefinery is 

a model that can be reproduced in other territories, 

according to the availability of the appropriate agricultural 

space, the appropriate cultures and the attention 

to the environmental quality of the territory itself. 

Pellets 

all photos: Novamont 


From Science & Research 

New Developments in Environmentally Intelligent 

Bioplastic Additives & Compounds 

Advancing Bioplastics 

Controlled (soil) biodegradation 

CO 2 

production in bioplastic-additive degradation trials 

8.00 

7.00 

6.00 

5.00 

4.00 

3.00 

2.00 

1.00 

mmol CO 2 

0.00 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 

Fig 1 

Impact Resistance (kJ/m 2 ) 

4.5 

4.0 

3.5 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 

Fig 2 

PLA 

PLA 1 

www.scionresearch.com 

Bioplastic with 

various additives 

Bioplastic only 

Impact strength PLA compounds 

Time (days) 

Article contributed by 

Dr. Alan Fernyhough, Unit Manager of the Bioplastics 

Engineering Group, Scion, Rotorua, New Zealand 

PLA 2 

PLA 3 

Scion, based in Rotorua, New Zealand, is a research organisation 

with approx. 390 employees firmly focused on a biomaterials 

future and has been working with bioplastics for about 

10 years. 

Scion recognised at an early stage that bioplastics represented 

a huge opportunity for New Zealand, with its traditional 

strengths in all aspects of the agriculture, horticulture, and 

forestry industries’ value chains. Each year large volumes of a 

wide range of biomasses are processed for an increasing range 

of end uses in New Zealand. Such resources, and the residues 

from the harvesting and downstream processing, represent valuable 

sources of fibres, fillers, polymers and functional chemical 

additives for use in industrial biopolymer products, such as 

bioplastics. 

The core focus of Scion has been on additives and compounding 

formulations for enhanced performance in commercial bioplastics. 

One of the early areas of research was the compatibilised 

combination of wood and other natural fibres with a range 

of commercial bioplastics such as MaterBi, Solanyl, Biopol 

(PHA), PLA and others. Scion then developed a novel technology 

for wood-fibre (as opposed to wood flour) pellet manufacture for 

bioplastics compounding and moulding- showing markedly superior 

performance to wood flour and to agri-fibre reinforced bioplastics. 

A database of properties and formulations for a wide 

range of biobased additives, fillers/fibres, compatibilisers etc 

was established with data on mechanical properties, processability, 

water and biodegradation responses, durability/weathering 

(UV/humidity) and other properties such as flame retardancy. 

Now the database comprises in excess of 300 formulations 

with such data, using major commercial bioplastics, variously 

compounded with novel (biobased) additives, or combinations of 

additives, sourced primarily from readily available biomasses. 

With moulders and compounders Scion is developing several 

applications in New Zealand, ranging from controllably degradable 

plant pots, erosion control products, underground temporary 

fixtures, office furniture and stationery products. The 

knowhow in enhancing bioplastics performance, together with 

an ability to control the degradation (accelerate or decelerate) 

profiles of commercial bioplastics, in soil and aqueous media, is 

now being applied to such product developments. Most interest 

has been for injection moulding, but there is increasing interest 


from Down-Under: 

Fig 3 

all pictures: Scion 

in extrusions and thermoforming. Examples of some of Scion’s 

developments are: 

Controlled Degradation Compounds 

The biodegradation of PLA and other bioplastics in soil 

media can be controlled by (biobased) additive technologies, 

while maintaining processability and mechanical integrity. For 

example Figure 1 shows examples of different biodegradation 

profiles, in soil, of PLA compounds with the addition of biomass 

additive systems, selected from the database. 

High Impact PLA 

Another outcome from Scions screening work has been 

clues to improving the impact resistance of brittle bioplastics, 

such as PLA. While it is relatively straightforward to improve 

stiffness and strength in PLA, for example by compatibilised 

addition of natural fibres or fillers, it is less easy to improve 

impact strength at the same time. However, researchers at 

Scion have identified some approaches which can do this. 

Figure 2 shows example data on impact strength for some 

injection moulded PLA formulations. 

Visualising Biopolymers in Natural Fibres 

A unique approach to ‘track’ biopolymers in moulded compounds 

has been developed by Dr Grigsby and Armin Thumm. 

Natural fibres differ from glass and carbon fibres in that they 

are permeable, and have cell walls and hollow centres of 

various dimensions (lumen). Confocal microscopy has been 

applied (Figure 3) to visualise differences in interfacial behaviours, 

at a fibre cell wall level. Use of selected flow modifiers, 

and/or certain processing conditions can lead to lower 

instances of voids between the biopolymer and fibre, and, can 

promote (or reduce) lumen filling. The implications of such 

differences on properties are being evaluated. 

New Functional Additives for Bioplastics 

Scion continues to screen biomass streams for functional 

additives of potential use in bioplastics. Scion has developed 

extractions, fractionations and derivatisations of such extracts 

and has developed novel ways of using them. For example, 

they can be used as components in high performance 

adhesive formulations and as functional additives for bioplastic 

compounds. 

Biofoam Developments 

Work on biofoams has focused on a new PLA foaming technology 

which uses carbon dioxide as blowing agent. Dr Witt 

has led this work and developed novel routes to the manufacture 

of very low density moulded blocks (~20g/l; Figure 4). Scion 

also works with a major foam moulder in New Zealand to 

further develop their bioplastic foaming technology for packaging 

products. Much of this is undertaken within Biopolymer 

Network Ltd, a JV between Scion and two other NZ research 

institutes, AgResearch and Crop & Food Research. 

About Scion 

Scion was established in 1947 as the New Zealand Forest 

Research Institute. From its forestry science roots, the government-owned 

Institute branched out into other areas of 

research: exploring the potential of trees, and other plants, 

crops and biomass residues to produce new bio-based materials. 

To mark this shift in emphasis, the organisation changed 

its trading name to “Scion”, which refers to a piece of plant 

material that is grafted onto an established rootstock. This 

new name symbolises the growth of research towards a future 

world where bio-based materials are required to replace 

non-renewable synthetics. 

This article could only give a condensed and incomplete 

overview of Scions activities. In future issues bioplastics MAG- 

AZINE will address one or the other activity in more detail. 

Fig 4 


Basics 

How much 

“biocontent” 

is in there? 

A scientifically proper calculation of the biobased 

content is more complex than one thinks... 

Biobased and biodegradable plastics can form the basis 

for an environmentally preferable, sustainable alternative 

to petroleum based plastics. These biobased 

materials offer value in the sustainability/life-cycle equation 

by being part of the biological carbon cycle, especially as it 

relates to carbon-based polymeric materials such as plastics 

for example. 

However, not all “so-called” bioplastics materials currently 

available are 100% biobased. There are for example blends of 

plastics made of renewable resources with those made of fossil 

oil or composites with different kind of fibers. But it would 

be too simple – or better incorrect – to say that a blend of 

30 grams of a material made of renewable resources and 70 

grams of a fossil based plastic would be 30% biobased. 

Global Carbon Cycle – Biobased Products Rationale 

Carbon is the major basic element that is the building 

block of polymeric materials -- biobased products, petroleum 

based products, biotechnology products, fuels, even life itself. 

Therefore, discussions on sustainability, sustainable development, 

and environmental responsibility centers on the issue 

of managing carbon (carbon based materials) in a sustainable 

and environmentally responsible manner. Natural ecosystems 

manage carbon through its biological carbon cycle, and so it 

makes sense to review how carbon based polymeric materials 

fit into nature’s carbon cycle and address any issues that 

may arise. 

Carbon is present in the atmosphere as CO 2 

. Plants, for example 

fix this inorganic carbon to organic carbon (carbohydrates) 

using sunlight for energy. 

CO 2 

+ H 2 

O + sunlight energy -> (CH 2 

O) x 

+ O 2 

Over geological time frames (>10 6 years) this organic matter 

(plant materials) is fossilized to provide our petroleum, 

natural gas and coal. We consume these fossil resources to 

make our polymers, chemicals and fuel and release the carbon 

back into the atmosphere as CO 2 

in a short time frame of 

1-10 years. However, the rate at which biomass is converted 

to fossil resources is in total imbalance with the rate at which 

they are consumed and liberated (> 10 6 years vs. 1-10 years). 

Thus, we release more CO 2 

than we sequester as fossil resources 

– a kinetics problem. Clearly, this is not sustainable, 

and we are not managing carbon in a sustainable and environmentally 

responsible manner. 

However, if we use annually renewable crops or biomass as 

the feedstocks for manufacturing our carbon based polymers, 

chemicals, and fuels, the rate at which CO 2 

is fixed equals the 

rate at which it is consumed and liberated – this is sustainable 

and the use of annually renewable crops/biomass would allow 

us to manage carbon in a sustainable manner. Furthermore, if 

we manage our biomass resources effectively by making sure 

that we plant more biomass (trees, crops) than we utilize, we 

can begin to start reversing the CO 2 

rate equation and move 

towards a net balance between CO 2 

fixation/sequestration and 

release due to consumption. 

“New” and “old” carbon 

Based on the above discussion, one can define biobased 

materials as follows: 

Biobased Materials – organic materials in which the carbon 

comes from contemporary (non-fossil) biological sources - 

“new carbon” 

Organic Materials – materials containing carbon based 

compounds in which the carbon is attached to other carbon 

atoms, hydrogen, oxygen, or other elements 

Therefore, to be classified as biobased, the materials must 

be organic and contain recently fixed “new carbon” from 

biological sources. Of course, organic materials from fossil 

(petroleum, coal, natural gas) resources contain “old (fossil) 

carbon” 

The question then arises: 

• How does one distinguish between “new” (contemporary) 

and “old” (fossil) carbon – i.e. identify biobased carbon? 

• How does one quantify biobased carbon content? 

Here, the so called radiocarbon method can help. Basically 

carbon exists in form of three different isotopes: 12 C, 13 C 

(which shall be neglected here) and 14 C. In the atmosphere the 

12 

C carbon in CO 2 

is in equilibrium with 14 C carbon. Therefore, 


Basics 

Global carbon cycle 

photosynthesis 

CO 2 

biomass/ 

Bio-organic 

1 - 10 

years 

Bio-chemical industry 

> 10 6 

years 

Polymers, 

Chemicals & 

& Fuels 

chemical industry 

Fossil Recourses 

(Petroleum, Coal, 

Natural gas) 

carbon entering the earth‘s plant and animal lifeways through 

photosynthesis contains radioactive 14 C. Since the half life of 

14 

C carbon is around 5730 years, the fossil feedstocks which 

form over millions of years will have no 14 C but only 12 C - “old 

carbon”. Thus, by using this methodology one can identify and 

quantify biocarbon (biobased) content. ASTM D6866 describes 

a test method to quantify biocontent (biobased) content using 

this approach. 

Biobased content of material 

It, therefore, follows that the biobased content of a material 

is based on the amount of biobased carbon (which contains 

14 

C) present, and defined as follows: 

Biobased content or gross biobased content is the amount 

of biobased carbon in the material or product as a fraction 

weight (mass) or percent weight (mass) of the total organic 

carbon in the material or product (ASTM D6866). 

Biobased Products are products made by transforming 

(chemically, biologically or physically blending) biobased materials, 

either exclusively or in combination with non-biobased 

materials. 

Some examples shall illustrate the determination of the 

biobased content: 

Product A is a fiber reinforced composite consisting of 30% 

biofiber (cellulose fiber) and 70% PLA (biobased material). 

The biobased content of this Product A is 100% - all the carbon 

in the product comes from bio-resources. 

Product B is a fiber reinforced composite consisting of 30% 

glass fiber and 70% PLA (biobased material). The biobased 

content of this Product B is 100%, not 70%. This is because 

the biobased content is on the basis of carbon, and glass fiber 

has no carbon associated with it. However, in all cases, one 

must define biobased content and organic content. Thus, the 

biobased content of Product B is 100% but organic content is 

70% because the 30% of glass is inorganic. 

Product C is a fiber reinforced composite consisting of 30% 

biofiber (cellulose) and 70% polypropylene (petroleum based 

organic). Product C biobased content is 18.17% and not 30%. 

Here the cellulose fibers consist of 44.4% biocarbon ( 14 C) and 

the Polypropylene consists of 85.7% of fossil based ( 12 C) carbon. 

So the equation is 

0.3 * 0.444 

______________________ = 0.1817 = 18.17% 

0.3 * 0.444 + 0.7 * 0.857 

The justification and rationale for using carbon and not the 

weight or moles or other elements like oxygen, or hydrogen as 

the basis for establishing bio (biobased) content of products 

should now be very self evident. As discussed in earlier sections, 

the rationale for using biobased products is to manage 

carbon in a sustainable and efficient manner as part of the 

natural carbon cycle, therefore it makes sense to use carbon 

( 14 C vs. 12 C) as the basis for determining biobased content. 

Acknowledgements: 

This article is based on a paper by Prof. Ramani Narayan 

(narayan@msu.edu), presented at the National American Chemical 

Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry meeting, San Diego (2005); 

ACS Symposium Ser (An American Chemical Society Publication), 

939 June 2006 


Mailbox 

Letters to the editor 

! ! 

I think the definition of biodegradable plastics 

vs compostable plastics (in issue 02/2006) is 

correct, but it is written to sound like: 

“compostable is better than biodegradable, 

or, a compostable plastic is certainly biodegradable.” 

Instead, I would like to stress the fact that a 

biodegradable plastic is, as you say, completely 

assimilated, in ordinary conditions of temperature 

and pH, with forms of life typically present 

in everyday soil. And, in brief periods of time, i.e. 

weeks at the most. 

Composting conditions are easier, so to 

speak: 60°C, defined microrganisms. I would 

say that biodegradable plastics are necessarily 

and readily composted, NOT viceversa. 

For example, PLA is degraded only in a very 

specific, industrial composting site. It is as biodegradable 

as PET ! In the sense that, if kept in 

regular soil, nothing will happen to it for years. 

And like PLA, (this applies to) many other 

compostable plastics. 

These compostable bioplastics risk becoming 

a dangerous factor of confusion in the consumers’ 

mind, and therefore could contribute to environmental 

litter. 

Dr.-Ing. Michelle Marrone 

R&D Application Projects Europe 

M&G Group, Italy 

www.gruppomg.com 

Ramani Narayan, Professor of Chemical and Biochemical 

Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering and 

Materials Science, Michigan State University basically agrees 

with this comment. He wrote: 

I would like to clarify the issue and put the subject on a 

more sound scientific footing because there seems to be 

confusion. 

• Biodegradation or bioassimilation (assimilated as food 

by microorganisms) has no meaning unless you define 

the environment and time for complete biodegradation. 

So one needs to present the subject as: 

- Biodegradation under composting conditions (compostable); 

- biodegradation under anaerobic digestion conditions, 

- biodegradation under soil or marine and so on 

in other words one must define the disposal environment 

when discussing biodegradation. 

• Time is the second important defining element – the 

rate and time required for complete biodegradation (or 

better bioassimilation) in the defined disposal environment! 

– the element of completeness in a short defined 

time frame (one season) is essential because hydrophobic 

breakdown fragments released into the environment 

has been shown to have serious environmental 

consequences (if they are not completely assimilated by 

the microorganisms in the disposal environment in one 

crop growing season). 

• Both these points are covered in detail in my presentations 

(e.g. 1st European Bioplastics Conference, Brussels, 

2006) or in my publications (see one example at 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/200701) 

• The National (ASTM D6400, EN 13432) and International 

(ISO 17088) specification standards are in complete harmony 

with the above definitions and understanding 


Basics 

A certain number of products made of bioplastics are 

already available in the market. Almost all of them are 

labelled with some kind of a logo that tells the consumer 

about the special character of the plastics material 

used. These logos and their background are introduced by 

bioplastics MAGAZINE in this series. Here questions such as: 

What is the origin and history of a logo? What does it mean? 

Which rules are involved with it? will be adressed. 

Logos Part 3: 

The “OK Compost” 

The history of the “OK Compost” logo goes back to the 

early 1990s, when the Belgian port city of Antwerp opened a 

tendering procedure for the supply of compostable bags for 

collecting garden waste. 

As some of the applicants came up with somewhat „quaint“ 

ideas, the city turned to Vinçotte (formerly AIB-Vinçotte) in 

Brussels with the question: „How can we be sure that the 

bags on offer are genuinely compostable?“ 

Therefore, Vinçotte, an independent organisation employing 

over 1,800 people worldwide, developed the “OK Compost” 

conformity mark. 

Market demand 

The “OK Compost” conformity mark is the response to a 

demand made by a city of one million people. The distribution 

chains soon took over, leading to a fast-growing interest, 

while helping to boost the mark‘s appeal and raise its 

profile. 

Needed: A clear and universally understandable logo 

“Several surveys have shown that even people not familiar 

with the „OK Compost“ logo recognise what it means when 

they see it,” says Philippe Dewolfs, Manager of the Product 

Certification Dept., of Vinçotte. 

This offers several advantages. The logo gets the message 

across in every language, without the need for huge efforts to 

educate the customer. 

An independent organisation already in existence 

Vinçotte as the certifying body was not created ad hoc. The 

company offers inspection, certification and testing services 

in many different fields. Its independent status and expertise 

are internationally acknowledged. 

A single reference: EN 13432 

From the outset Vinçotte adopted a European approach. 

The certification of compostable packaging material strictly 

follows the rules of the European standard EN 13432 (compostability 

of packaging). „OK Compost“ = EN 13432, no more, 

no less”, as Philippe Dewolfs comments, “This slogan also 

sends out a strong message as to the reliability of a product: 

no need to have to consult the report to discover what references 

and methods are used.” 

„OK Compost“ certificates are accepted by international 

agencies, such as BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute), 

USA, AFNOR, France, and others without requiring any further 

trials or analyses. 

Philippe Dewolfs: “Independence, clarity, visibility and 

traceability are at the root of the growing success of the „OK 

Compost“ logo. The number of certificates has increased 

threefold and the number of licensees fivefold within only five 

years.” 

„OK Compost HOME”: keeping waste at bay 

In countries like Belgium and the UK, more and more peo- 


Basics 

logo of Vinçotte, Belgium 

ple are composting their green waste in their backyard. Temperatures specified 

in the EN 13432 standard are not reached during home composting, 

hence products complying with this standard might not be suitable for home 

composting. 

Vinçotte has therefore sought to revamp the EN 13432 standard‘s requirements 

to use it for the determination of the home compostability for such 

products. The result is the „OK Compost HOME“ mark, that has already been 

awarded to several products during its three-year existence. 

“But the most amazing development is that even though no more than 10% 

of the people asked actually knew the logo, 78% of the people interviewed 

understood exactly what it meant,” as Philippe Dewolfs proudly adds. 

“OK Compost” - a logo with a guarantee 

Looking beyond the initial certification process, a conformity mark also 

has to guarantee that production is in keeping with the requirements. This 

means: 

• Are the products on the market identical to those originally certified? and 

• Are all the products „declaring“ their compliance with the mark genuinely 

certified? 

Periodical inspections, sampling in the marketplace or at the supplier‘s 

end ensure the first question. 

The second question is now a lot easier to answer as a result of the growing 

trend to rely on the Internet to market products. Vinçotte regularly checks 

out cyber advertisements and all referring to „OK Compost“ (about 1000 reference 

at present) are seriously scrutinised. If the „OK Compost“ mark is 

being misused or likely to cause confusion, Vinçotte react straightaway so as 

to safeguard the mark‘s integrity and credibility. 

“Clear logo, visibility, single reference, expertise, independence and market 

surveillance – all of these items should be the basic ingredients of any 

conformity mark,” as Philippe Dewolfs summarizes. “This is the case with 

the „OK Compost“ category, all in the service of promoting new producer and 

consumer behaviour patterns.” 

all pictures: Vinçotte 

www.vincotte.com 


Suppliers Guide 

Simply contact: Tel.: +49-2359-2996-0 or 

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Stay permanently listed in the Suppliers Guide with 

your company logo and contact information. 

For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you can be present 

among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics. 

1. Raw Materials 

1.1 bio based monomers 

Du Pont de Nemours International S.A. 

2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50 

CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex, 

Geneva, Switzerland 

Phone: + 41(0) 22 717 5176 

Fax: + 41(0) 22 580 2360 

thomas.philipon@che.dupont.com 

www.packaging.dupont.com 

1.2 compounds 

R.O.J. Jongboom Holding B.V. 

Biopearls 

Damstraat 28 

6671 AE Zetten 

The Netherlands 

Tel.: +31 488 451318 

Mob: +31 646104345 

info@biopearls.nl 

www.biopearls.nl 

BIOTEC Biologische 

Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG 

Werner-Heisenberg-Straße 32 

46446 Emmerich 

Germany 

Tel.: +49 2822 92510 

Fax: +49 2822 51840 

info@biotec.de 

www.biotec.de 

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH 

Siemensring 79 

D - 47 877 Willich 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2154 9251-26 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2154 9251-51 

patrick.zimmermann@fkur.de 

www.fkur.de 

Transmare Compounding B.V. 

Ringweg 7, 6045 JL 

Roermond, The Netherlands 

Phone: +31 (0)475 345 900 

Fax: +31 (0)475 345 910 

info@transmare.nl 

www.compounding.nl 

1.3 PLA 

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH 

Holzhauser Str. 157 - 159 

13509 Berlin 

Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0)30 43567 5 

fax: +49 (0)30 43567 699 

sales.de@thyssenkrupp.com 

www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com 

1.4 starch-based bioplastics 

BIOTEC Biologische 

Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG 

Werner-Heisenberg-Straße 32 

46446 Emmerich 

Germany 

Tel.: +49 2822 92510 

Fax: +49 2822 51840 

info@biotec.de 

www.biotec.de 

1.5 PHA 

1.6 masterbatches 

PolyOne 

Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 

Zoning de la Fagne 

5330 Assesse 

Belgium 

Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 

info.color@polyone.com 

www.polyone.com 

Sukano Products Ltd. 

Chaltenbodenstrasse 23 

CH-8834 Schindellegi 

Phone +41 44 787 57 77 

Fax +41 44 787 57 78 

www.sukano.com 

1.7 reinforcing fibres/fillers 

made from RRM 

2. Additives / 

Secondary raw materials 

Du Pont de Nemours International S.A. 

2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50 

CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex, 

Geneva, Switzerland 

Phone: + 41(0) 22 717 5176 

Fax: + 41(0) 22 580 2360 

thomas.philipon@che.dupont.com 

www.packaging.dupont.com 

3. Semi finished products 

3.1 films 

Maag GmbH 

Leckingser Straße 12 

58640 Iserlohn 

Germany 

Tel.: + 49 2371 9779-30 

Fax: + 49 2371 9779-97 

shonke@maag.de 

www.maag.de 

Treofan Germany GmbH & Co. KG 

Am Prime Parc 17 

65479 Raunheim 

Tel +49 6142 200-0 

Fax +49 6142 200-3299 

www.biophanfilms.com 

www.earthfirstpla.com 

www.sidaplax.com 

www.plasticsuppliers.com 

Sidaplax UK : +44 (1) 604 76 66 99 

Sidaplax Belgium: +32 9 210 80 10 

Plastic Suppliers: 1 866 378 4178 

3.1.1 cellulose based films 

INNOVIA FILMS LTD 

Wigton 

Cumbria CA7 9BG 

England 

Contact: Andy Sweetman 

Tel.: +44 16973 41549 

Fax: +44 16973 41452 

andy.sweetman@innoviafilms.com 

www.innoviafilms.com 

4. Bioplastics products 

Huhtamaki Deutschland 

GmbH & Co. KG 

Tel. +49 6542 802 0 

Fax +49 6542 802 310 

foodservice@de.huhtamaki.com 

www.huhtamaki.de 

www.huhtamaki.com 

natura Verpackungs GmbH 

Industriestr. 55 - 57 

48432 Rheine 

Tel.: +49 5975 303-57 

Fax: +49 5975 303-42 

info@naturapackaging.com 

www.naturapackagign.com 

Veriplast Holland BV 

Stadhoudersmolenweg 70 

NL - 7317 AW Apeldoorn 

www.veripure.eu 

Info@veripure.eu 

4.1 trays 

5. Traders 

5.1 wholesale 

6. Machinery & Molds 

Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey 

Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic 

Container Industry 

284 Pinebush Road 

Cambridge Ontario 

Canada N1T 1Z6 

Tel: +1 905 624 9720 

Fax: +1 519 624 9721 

info@hallink.com 

www.hallink.com 


Credits 

Companies in this issue: 

Company Editorial Ad 

+1 Water 9 

AgResearch 35 

Aichi Industrial Technology Institute 17 

Albert Heijn 11 

Alcan Packaging 11 

Arkema 11, 24 

Autobar 11 

BASF 6 

Batelle 11 

Belu 11 

Biobag International 11 

Biomer 11 

Biop 11 

Biopearls 31 

bioplastics 24 31 

Biopolymer Network 35 

Biotec 7 

BMW 19 

BPI 6 

Bridgestone 20 

Brückner Formtec 28 

Cargo Cosmetics 8 

Center for Management Technology 13 

Cereplast 11 

Coldiretti 5, 32 

Colormatrix 9 

Coop Italia 11 

Coopbox Europe 11 

Cortec 31 

Crop & Food Reseacrh 35 

Daimler-Chrysler 14 

Delhaize 11 

DLR 21 

Doehler 9 

Drenth 22 

DuPont 18 

Econeer 27 

Ecozema 11 

European Bioplastics 5, 10, 12 

European Plastics News 11, 12 

FH Hannover 12 

FNR 12, 21 

Ford 15, 21 

Four Motors 21 

German Torque Factory 22 

Goodyear 19 

Groen Creatie 11 

For the next issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE 

(among others) the following subjects are scheduled: 

Company Editorial Ad 

Hobum Oleochemicals 22 

Honda 18 

Huhtamaki 6, 11 

Ihr Platz 9 

Innovia Films 11, 30 

Instron 12 

Interseroh 9 

Intertech Pira 8 

Invent 21 

LiquiMoly 23 

M&G 38 

Mazda 16 

M-Base 12 

Metabolix 11 

Mitsubishi 17 

natura 30 39 

Natureworks 5, 6, 9, 28 

Nestlé 11 

Netstal 9 

Nishikawa Rubber 16 

Nokian 20 

Northern Technologies 6 

nova Institut 14 

Novamont 6, 11, 19 48 

Pira 6 

plasticker 31 

Plastics Suppliers 8 

Poly America 6 

Polyfea 26 

Polyone 9 

Polypack 8 

Purac 9 

RPC Cresstale 11 

Sainsbury’s 11, 30 

Scion 34 

Sidaplax 9 

SIG Corpoplast 9 

SIG Plasmax 9 

Sukano 11 

Tate&Lyle 18 

Toray 18 

Toyota 15, 16 

Treofan 9,11 2 

Uhde Inventa-Fischer 9 47 

Unitika 11 

USCC 6 

Vinçotte 40 

Wiedmer 9 

Next Issue 

Special: 

Basics: 

Events: 

Next issues: 

Bottles, labels, caps 

Agricultural space vs. bioplastics 

production (some calculations and figures) 

Logos Part 4 

Review and preview of events like 

exhibitions and conferences 

02/07 June 2007 

03/07 October 2007 

04/07 December 2007 

01/08 February 2008 


Events 

Event-Calendar 

March 26-27, 2007 

PETnology Europe 2007 

featuring in Session 6: 

Potential and Developments for Renewable Plastics 

in Packaging 

Holiday Inn - Munich City Center, Munich, Germany 

www.petnology.com 

April 2-3, 2007 

2nd World Congress on „Wood Plastics Composites“ 

Crowne Plaza, Seattle, Washington, USA 

www.executive-conference.com/conferences/wpc07.html 

April 24-25, 2007 

BioRefinetec 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

http://cmtsp.com.sg 

April 26-27, 2007 

Biomaterials in Industrial Applications 

Copthorne Tara Hotel, Kensington, London, UK 

www.intertechpira.com 

May 2-4, 2007 

2nd Automotive Congress: „Plastics-in-Motion“ 

Hotel Quirinale, Rome, Italy 

www.executive-conference.com/conferences/plastics07.html 

October 24-31, 2007 

K‘2007, International Trade Fair 

No 1 for Plastic and Rubber Worldwide 

Düsseldorf, Germany 

www.k-online.de 

meet bioplastics MAGAZINE in Hall 7, 07C09 

November, 2007 

2nd European Bioplastics 2007 

Paris, France 


December 5-6, 2007 

Bioplastics 2007 

including Bioplastics Awards 2007 

Frankfurt/Main, Germany 

www.bpevent.com 

for the awards contact chris.smith@emap.com 

March 3-4, 2008 

3rd International Seminar on Biodegradable Polymers 

Valencia, Spain 

www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=7345 

May 10, 2007 

SustainPack SP6 conference 

New Technologies and Applications in 

Communicative packaging 

Wageningen, The Netherlands 

May 15-16, 2007 

BioPolymers Markets 

Hong Kong 

www.cmtevents.com 

May 23-24, 2007 

Biofuels & Feedstock Philippines 

Manila, Philippines 

www.cmtevents.com 

September 12-13, 2007 

1st PLA-Bottle Conference 

Possibilities - Limitations - Prospects 

Grand Elysee Hotel, Hamburg Germany 

www.pla-bottle-conference.com 

October 17-19, 2007 

BioEnvironmental Polymer Society 14th Annual Meeting 

International Samposium on Polymers and the environment: 

Emerging Technology and Science 

Hilton Vancouver Hotel, Vancouver, Washington 

Call for Papers: gmg@pw.usda.gov 

One of the biggest events for the plastics industry is 

certainly the K’2007 in Düsseldorf, Germany from 24-31 

October, 2007. 

At the “number 1 for plastics and rubber worldwide” 

more than 2,900 exhibitors will show their expertise and 

products on an extended fairground of 265,000 square 

metres. The last “K-Show” in 2004 attracted almost 

231,000 visitors from all over the world. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE will prepare a K’2007 show 

preview to be published in our issue 03/2007 (1 October 

2007). Therefore we ask all suppliers of products or services 

exhibiting at K’2007 to send us your press releases, 

information about your exhibits etc.. 

Come and see us at K’2007. bioplastics MAGAZINE 

would be happy to welcome you in hall 7, booth 7C09. 


12 - 13 September 2007 

1st PLA-Bottle-Conference 

possibilities | limitations | prospects 

powered by 

PLA (Polylactide), a compostable plastic made from renewable 

resources such as corn, is a highly topical subject right now, 

especially in the light of increasing crude oil prices. The stretch 

blow moulded PLA bottles used by Biota or Natural Iowa (USA), 

Belu (UK) and Vitamore (Germany), as well as reports in the 

trade press, have aroused significant interest from the PET and 

beverage industry. 

Would you like to find out more about the possibilities, 

limitations and future prospects of PLA for bottle applications? 

That‘s exactly why bioplastics MAGAZINE is organising the 

1st PLA Bottle Conference on the 12 

th and 13 th of September 

2007 in the Grand Elysee Hotel in Hamburg, Germany. This 

1½ day conference offers a comprehensive overview of today‘s 

opportunities and challenges. 

Experts from companies such as Purac, Uhde Inventa-Fischer, 

Natureworks, Netstal, SIG Corpoplast, Wiedmer, Treofan, 

Sidaplax, SIG Plasmax, Doehler, Colormatrix, Polyone, Ihr 

Platz, Interseroh, and more, will share their knowledge and … 

…on the afternoon of Thursday September 13th delegates will 

visit SIG Corpoplast, the manufacturer of the stretch blow 

moulding equipment that is used to produce for example the 

Biota and the Belu bottles. 

early bird 

€ 750.00 

bookings before 

May 31st, 2007 

Bookings made from 

June 1st, 2007: € 850.00 

Sponsors 

Supported by 

There will be sessions covering: 

• Raw materials, from corn to PLA 

• PLA preform manufacture 

• Stretch blow moulding of PLA 

• Caps, labels, shrink-sleeves made 

from biodegradable plastics 

• Barrier solutions for PLA bottles 

• Temperature stability of PLA 

• Additives, from processing 

agents to colorants 

• Reports „from the market“ 

• End of life options, recycling, energy 

recovery, composting 

More information and registration: 

www.pla-bottle-conference.com

Subscribtion 

Subscribe now and get the 

next six issues for € 149,–* 

please fill in the form and fax to +49-2161-631045 

or subscribe online at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com 

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A real sign 

of sustainable 

development. 

There is such a thing as genuinely sustainable development. 

Since 1989, Novamont researchers have been working 

on an ambitious project that combines the chemical 

industry, agriculture and the environment: “Living 

Chemistry for Quality of Life”. Its objective has been to 

create products that have a low environmental impact. 

The innovative result of Novamont’s research is the new 

bioplastic Mater-Bi ® .The Mater-Bi ® polymer comes from maize starch and 

other vegetable starches; it is completely biodegradable and compostable. 

Mater-Bi ® performs like plastic, but it saves energy, contributes to reducing 

the greenhouse effect, and at the end of its life cycle, it closes the loop by 

changing into fertile humus. Everyone’s dream has become a reality. 

Living Chemistry for Quality of Life. 

www.novamont.com 

Mater-Bi ® : certified and recommended biodegradability and compostability.

bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0701

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